The Honor 500 Pro was announced on November 24, 2025, in 4 colors and 4 configurations, and it immediately caught my attention. I want to see what this phone has to offer and whether or not it can be the right choice for you. Let’s dive into its features and performance review.
Design
Physical Dimensions & Feel
Forget boring glass slabs. Holding the 500 Pro, you immediately notice the stunning Crystal Island Aesthetic. It’s not just glass; the Integrated Cold-Carved glass gives it a crystalline texture that actually transmits 96% of the light. Paired with the frosted aluminum middle frame, the whole thing feels 360° seamless, a beautiful piece of industrial design. At 201g and 7.75mm thick, it feels substantial and premium in the hand, but not overly bulky.
You can get the Honor 500 Pro in four colors: Aquamarine, Starlight Pink, Moonlight Silver, and Obsidian Black.
IP68, IP69, and IP69K
Here’s a detail I love: the durability rating. This thing is built like a tank, boasting an IP68, IP69, and IP69K dust and water resistance. Seriously, all three. The IP69K rating is the real kicker, meaning this phone can handle everything from accidental drops in the pool to high-pressure cleaning, it’s worry-proof.
Camera
Rear Imaging System and Resolution
The camera system is the headline feature, dominated by the 200MP AI ultra-clear imaging system. The main shooter is a beast: a 200MP AI ultra-clear main camera (f/1.9 aperture, 1/1.4-inch sensor, OIS) that delivers photos up to 16384×12288 pixels; you can print these on billboards. You also get a dedicated 50MP telephoto portrait lens (f/2.4 aperture, 3x optical zoom) and a 12MP ultra-wide-angle macro lens (f/2.2, 112° FOV) that can get as close as 2.5 cm with Auto Focus. The 100x digital zoom is there if you need it, but I’m really impressed by the dedicated hardware.
Front Camera and Video
The front-facing camera is equally impressive: a 50MP front camera with an F2.0 aperture. Whether you’re shooting with the main camera or the front-facing lens, you can capture buttery smooth 4K video.
Stabilization Technology
If you’re tired of shaky phone videos, the 500 Pro has you covered. It uses the serious CIPA 5.0 flagship-grade stabilization sensor alongside OIS and EIS, making handheld shots look incredibly stable. It’s professional-grade stabilization in your pocket.
Performance
Snapdragon Core Specifications
This phone is lightning fast. The Honor 500 Pro is powered by a custom-tuned Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite chipset, built on a 3nm process. The CPU is configured with 2 Prime cores at 4.32GHz and 6 Performance cores at 3.53GHz, plus the mighty Adreno 830 GPU.
Honor claims some massive gains: 44% less power consumption, a 45% boost in core performance, and a 40% jump in GPU performance (with a 35% improvement in Ray Tracing).
Stabilizing Performance for Gamers
For gamers, the Honor Phantom Engine 3.0 is the key to sustained top performance. It uses an industry-first rendering-display separation technology to stabilize frame rates, which should eliminate stuttering during intense sessions. Coupled with mobile AI super-resolution and super-frame technology, games look smoother and cleaner than ever before. This feature is also present in the Honor 500.
Memory Configuration
When it comes to memory, Honor clearly wants to make sure you never have to worry about slowdowns. Every configuration starts strong with a massive 12GB of high-speed RAM, which you can pair with either 256GB or 512GB of internal storage space. If you’re a serious power user or a content creator, they crank it up to 16GB of RAM, giving you access to the top-tier 512GB or even the colossal 1TB internal storage option. Just keep in mind that you won’t find a memory card slot.
Battery
Capacity and Longevity
The battery in the 500 Pro is genuinely game-changing. It features the massive 8000mAh Qinghai Lake Large Battery, a capacity you usually only see in tablets. It’s engineered not just for a long day but a long life, with Honor confidently claiming 6 years of durable life. That’s incredible for battery anxiety.
Charging Speeds and Features
When you finally need to recharge, it’s fast: 80W Honor wired SuperCharge and 50W Honor wireless SuperCharge. Plus, a nice practical touch: you can use its massive battery to charge other devices via 27W wired reverse fast charging and it includes smart charging mode to keep the battery happy in the long run.
Display
6.55″ FHD+ with 6000 Nits
The Honor 500 Pro’s display is a 6.55-inch flat screen AMOLED panel. It’s razor-sharp at FHD+ 2736 x 1264 pixels (460PPI).
Peak brightness hits an insane 6000nits. It’s a true high-brightness sunlight screen, meaning you can see it clearly even outdoors on the brightest day.
The 120Hz adaptive refresh rate is standard for a flagship, and the ultra-narrow 1.05mm bezel practically disappears. Oh, and yes, it supports AI glove touch for cold weather.
Eye Protection and Health Features
Honor clearly put a lot of work into eye comfort. Their Oasis eye protection screen is packed with technology, most notably the eye-friendly 3840Hz risk-free dimming and a stunningly low 1nit hardware-level minimum brightness for reading in the dark.
Unique features include dynamic defocus (like electronic eye exercises) and sleep aid display (claiming a 20% melatonin increase).
Connectivity and Security
Network Speed and Dual-Chip Technology
The connectivity is seriously optimized. Combining the Snapdragon 8 Elite with the self-developed Honor RF enhancement chip C1+ creates the dual-chip ticket snatching king. Honor claims a 26.1% speed increase in rapid purchase acceleration, making concert ticket grabbing “one step faster.”
The C1+ chip also enables Turbo Pass for better real-time message sending and internet communication, and is an automatic campus network all-rounder, providing seamless login, smart WiFi selection, and network pre-switching for stable gaming. It supports 5G SA and Dual SIM Dual Pass standards.
Authentication and Privacy Suite
Unlocking is fast via the under-display fingerprint sensor or face recognition. The privacy features are outstanding, feeling like a truly modern suite. I particularly like the AI face swap detection (for video calls) and privacy moment which hides sensitive info fast.
Software and Features
Operating System
The Honor 500 Pro runs on MagicOS 10 (Based on Android 16), and the AI integration is central to the experience.
YOYO Image Play
Editing has become ridiculously easy with YOYO Image Play. You literally “say the idea, YOYO creates the masterpiece.” Need to remove someone from the background? Motion Elimination of Bystanders. Want a cool loop? Animated Collage or AI Image-to-Video. It handles complex edits like Fill Light/Exposure and Color Toning instantly.
What’s in the Box
I always appreciate a company that gives you everything you need right away. In the box, you get the Honor 500 Pro itself, charger, screen protector (pre-applied), phone case, USB Type-C Data Cable, SIM ejector pin, and quick guide. Everything you need to get started is in the box.
